2002-04-13 - 4:56 p.m.
Well, I missed my chance to be discovered today. I suppose in Los Angeles, anytime someone asks to take your picture you should just say yes...you never know...it could be some talent scout looking to put you in his next movie....but I was running to feed a parking meter...and therefore passed up my chance for stardom! Well...sort of.
I was up in Santa Monica shopping for spa products....and, man, it was crazy up there! It was sooo crowded it seemed like the peak of tourist season. (Even at the beach this morning there were tons of people) Anyway...it was near impossible to find parking, more so than usual...so I took a one hour meter, thinking that would be more than enough time. It wasn't! So I finally realize my time is up and I'm heading back to the car, and this guy with a camera comes up to me and says, "the way you're dressed, you would be so perfect for a black and white photo, can I take your picture??" Well, up in Santa Monica, so many people come up to you and ask you things like "can you spare any change?"..."do you have a cigarette?" or "hey Baby!..." whatever, you know. So I just kind of shrugged him off and said no and kept walking....and he's calling after me "Please let me take your photo" and I yell back, "sorry...my meter is running out!"

OK...so I probably would have said no, even if my meter wasn't running out...and he probably was just a creep, not a talent scout....but...you never know!!

1. What is your favorite restaurant and why? Definitely, Ivy at the Shore, in Santa Monica. Because it's upscale (l love upscale), but not snooty (I hate snooty). When you go there you feel like you're at some wealthy person's beach side bungalow crossed with some vintage bamboo laden beachside bar. And there is no way to decribe how absolutely orgasmic the food is....you just have to go! The bread, the lime chicken, the crab benedict, the lattes (served in huge mugs)...ooooh, I wish I was there now!

2. What fast food restaurant are you partial to? I hate fast food restaurants. The closest thing to a fast food place that I like is a place about half way between Los Angeles and Las Vegas, called The Mad Greek.

3. What are your standards and rules for tipping? I usually try to tip quite generously. I start by figuring out what 20% would be...then I usually round it up to make it an even number. If the service was particularly good...or I feel like the server could really use some money...then I go up from there. However, if the service is bad, really, really bad...I have been known to leave no tip whatsoever. My boyfriend, on the other hand, has this great little program on his Visor that calculates what the tip would be for various percentages....which is sometimes quite helpful.

4. Do you usually order an appetizer and/or dessert? If there is an exotic or especially good sounding appetizer, we will order one and split it. If there is an appetizer that even has a mention of corn in it, we will usually have to get that (my boyfriend has a thing about corn). Often, we will just order several appetizers and no entree. And for dessert, we try not to get dessert, but again, if it lookes especially exotic...or if it is a particularly good looking tiramisu...we usually cave in and get it.

5. What do you usually order to drink at a restaurant? Well, right now, I'm going through this thing where I can't decide if I like Tanqueray better or Bombay....so sometimes it's a "Tanqueray martini up with a twist" and sometimes it's a "Sapphire martini up with a twist." My boyfriend likes to order Sidecars, but it seems almost impossible to get one that is made correctly....which is odd, because it is such a simple drink (brandy, cointreau, and lemon juice in equal parts, shaken and served up like a martini). Then, if his Sidecar is made well, I usually get jealous and have to order one for my next drink. But if the restaurant only has beer and wine, I'll order a glass of chardonnay.